Display devices useful for mounting temporary advertising messages outdoors where the message is readily noticed by people are nowadays common place. Because of the outdoor location of such advertising displays, they must be resistant to weather or protected from the effects of weather. As the wind loads, heat and cold continuously apply and then relax loads to the banner, the banner supporting structure, as well as the banner per se, is stressed and then relaxed on a daily basis. Often, fasteners or other similar means will be loosened by the repeated loads applied to the banner supporting structure by the changes in weather to cause the supporting structure to become loosened and potentially disengaged from the upstanding pole or other such supporting structures.
Current mounting techniques for vertical banners involve mounting such banners with the top horizontal edge of the banner as well as the bottom horizontal edge each having a hem running the width of the banner and thereby allowing a banner arm assembly to be inserted into the sleeve created by the hem. This type of mounting may be of permanent nature i.e. a steel banner arm assembly being welded at 90.degree. on the upstanding post. The banner arm assembly may also possibly be of a removable nature with a fiberglass rod or steel tube inserted into a female socket.
Two of the mostly used vertical banner mounting systems use brackets with fiberglass rod banner arms and brackets with steel tube banner arms. The fiberglass arms are often preferred since they offer more flexibility, thereby permitting a limited cushioning of wind gusts although not offering enough flexibility to spill off high wind forces exerted against the banner. High winds can create forces in excess of 400 pounds per banner range, and without the capability of the banner being able to tip with and deflect the wind, these forces are directly transferred to the banner hems, arms, bracket bases and to the upstanding post. In such instances, wind gusts often result in tearing and damage to the banner.
It has been proposed that the destructive effect of wind gusts on banners be reduced by mounting fiberglass banner arms in a base plate held into a bracket base by means of springs and this might prove sufficient in situation of winds that are not unduly great.
All known techniques work in a way where they merely react to the conditions which makes it more reactive rather than proactive. Therefore, a need exists for the provision of a reliable banner support assembly which makes mounting the banners onto supporting members easy and time efficient and yet provides for the requisite durability and reliability in order to maintain the banner adequately supported and taut on the supporting member, thereby ensuring premium appearance of the message.